It's official: Cubs trade with Tigers to bolster bullpen

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired left-handed pitcher Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila from the Detroit Tigers for infielders Jeimer Candelario, Isaac Paredes and a player to be named or cash consideration. To open up a spot on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro has been designated for assignment.

Wilson, who turns 30 next month, is 3-4 with 13 saves and a 2.68 ERA (12 ER/40.1 IP) in 42 relief appearances for the Tigers this season. He has struck out 55 batters in 40.1 innings and held opponents to a 0.94 WHIP while limiting foes to a .157 batting average, including a .220 mark by lefties and a .131 mark by righties. He has also held opponents to just a .242 on-base percentage and a .321 slugging percentage, good for a .563 opponents OPS. Wilson is under club control through the 2018 campaign.

The southpaw made his major league debut with Pittsburgh in 2012, posting a 1.93 ERA (1 ER/4.2 IP) in eight outings during his first major league foray, before going 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA (17 ER/73.2 IP) in 58 relief appearances with the Pirates during his first full big league campaign in 2013. He pitched for the Pirates for another season before joining the New York Yankees in 2015, where he went 5-0 with 29 holds and a 3.10 ERA (21 ER/61.0 IP) in 74 relief outings during his lone season in New York. He was traded to the Tigers prior to the 2016 campaign.

Overall, Wilson is 21-14 with 92 holds, 14 saves and a 3.20 ERA (106 ER/298.1 IP) in 318 relief appearances covering six major league seasons with Pittsburgh (2012-14), the New York Yankees (2015) and Detroit (2016-17). He was selected by the Pirates in the fifth round of the 2008 Draft out of California State University, Fresno.

Avila, 30, is batting .274 (60-for-219) with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 32 RBI in 77 games with the Tigers this season. He has posted a .394 on-base percentage and a .475 slugging percentage, good for a .869 OPS. His .869 OPS is the second highest mark among all major league catchers with at least 70 games played this season, trailing only San Francisco’s Buster Poser (.903).

Overall, the left-handed hitting Avila is a career .243 hitter (600-for-2,472) with 128 doubles, 84 homers and 325 RBI in 817 games covering nine big league seasons with Detroit (2009-15, 2017) and the Chicago White Sox (2016). He was originally selected by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 2008 Draft out of the University of Alabama.

Avila is batting .271/.392/.864 with 43 walks, 11 doubles, 11 HR and 32 RBI in 76 games for the Tigers this season. pic.twitter.com/h1ozvkBWgp

Candelario, 23, has batted .136 (6-for-44) with one homer and three RBI in 16 big league games with the Cubs during the last two seasons (2016-17). This year he is batting .266 (76-for-286) with 12 homers and 52 RBI in 81 games with Triple-A Iowa. He originally signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2010.

Paredes, 18, is batting .264 (89-for-337) with 25 doubles, seven home runs and 49 RBI in 92 games with Single-A South Bend this season. He originally signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2015.

Floro, 26, had no record and a 6.52 ERA (7 ER/9.2 IP) in three outings with the Cubs this season. With Iowa this year, he went 3-2 with one save and a 3.88 ERA (21 ER/48.2 IP) in 25 appearances – 23 in relief and two as a starter.